Viburnum plant named ‘ILVOMONO’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Viburnum plant named ‘ILVOMONO’ is disclosed, characterized by a compact, spherical shape, pink flowers turning to white, and greyed-red autumn foliage. The new variety is a Viburnum, normally produced as an outdoor garden or container plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Viburnum plicatum.

Variety denomination: ‘ILVOMONO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Viburnum cultivar is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the inventor in Melle, Belgium. The open-pollinationresulting in this new variety was made during spring of 2009. Theobjective of the breeding program was to develop new cultivars ofViburnum for commercial horticultural purposes.

The seed parent of ‘ILVOMONO’ is the unpatented Viburnum plicatum‘Watanabei’. The pollen parent is unidentified. The new variety wasidentified as a potentially interesting selection in 2012, at a researchgreenhouse in Melle, Belgium.

The first asexual propagation of ‘ILVOMONO’ was carried out in 2019 byrooting stem cuttings at the same research greenhouse Melle, Belgium,and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly. ‘ILVOMONO’ has been foundto retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexualpropagations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘ILVOMONO’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘ILVOMONO’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘ILVOMONO’ as a new and distinct Viburnumcultivar:

-   -   1. Abundant pink flowers in the beginning of flowering period,        turning to white.    -   2. Flowering from May to July, with a second flowering period        possible in September.    -   3. Compact, spherical plant shape.    -   4. Very dense plant with dense branching.    -   5. Small leaves with a greyed-red autumn coloration.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ILVOMONO’ are similar to plants of the seedparent in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of‘ILVOMONO’ differ in the following:

-   -   1. Flowers of the new variety begin pinkish and turn white;        flowers of the seed parent variety are consistently white.    -   2. Plants of the new variety are more compact and dense than        plants of the seed parent.

The pollen parent is unidentified.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘ILVOMONO’ can be compared to the commercialvariety Viburnum ‘ILVOAWAI’, U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.17/726,805. These varieties are similar in most horticulturalcharacteristics; however, ‘ILVOMONO’ differs in the following:

-   -   1. Plants of ‘ILVOMONO have a nearly equal height and width        compared to plants of ‘ILVOAWAI’ which are wider than tall.    -   2. Flowers of ‘ILVOAWAI’ are a different shade of pink during        the pink phase of flowering than the pink flowers of ‘ILVOMONO’.        Flowers of ‘ILVOMONO’ are colored near Red-Purple 63D at        maturing, changing to White 155D. Flowers of ‘ILVOAWAI’ are        colored Red-Purple 65A, 65D over White 155A and do not turn        completely white.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Viburnum is illustrated by the accompanying photographs whichshow the plant's form, foliage and inflorescences. The colors shown areas true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographicprocedures. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description, which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Viburnum cultivar. Plants areapproximately 3 years, planted in the ground.

FIG. 1 is a color photograph of a field-grown plant of ‘ILVOMONOI’ inGrand Haven, Mich.

FIG. 2 is a color photograph showing inflorescences of ‘ILVOMONO’ grownin Grand Haven, Mich.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the botanical characteristicsof the new and distinct Viburnum variety plant known by the denomination‘ILVOMONO’. The detailed description was taken on a seven-year-oldfield-grown plant in Melle, Belgium in 2021. All colors cited hereinrefer to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (The RoyalHorticultural Society (RHS), London, Sixth Edition). Where specificdimensions, sizes, colors, and other characteristics are given, it is tobe understood that such characteristics are approximations or averagesset forth as accurately as practicable.

-   Botanical classification: Viburnum plicatum ‘ILVOMONO’.

PROPAGATION

-   Typical method: Softwood cuttings.-   Time to initiate rooting: 28 days at approximately 27° C.-   Time to produce a rooted young plant: About 3 months at    approximately 27° C.-   Root description: Dense, free branching roots of moderate thickness.    Colored yellow-white, not accurately measured with an RHS chart.

PLANT

-   Plant type: Perennial flowering shrub.-   Plant description:    -   -   Growth habit.—Upwards and outwards.        -   Shape.—Compact, spherical.        -   Height.—120 cm.        -   Width.—120 cm.        -   Growth rate.—Good.        -   Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Branching habit.—Basal, freely branching.        -   Pinching required?.—Not required, but if pinched, second            flowering possible.-   Stem:    -   -   Lateral branch length.—Up to 70 cm.        -   Lateral branch diameter.—0.5 to 0.8 cm.        -   Internode length.—4 to 6 cm.        -   Stem texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—RHS Grey-Brown 199B.        -   Strength.—Strong, erect stems.        -   Pubescence.—None.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:    -   -   Persistence.—Deciduous to semi-evergreen in warmer climates.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite, single.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Width.—3 cm.        -   Length.—6 cm.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Acute.        -   Venation.—Reticulate.        -   Vein color.—Near RHS Green 137A.        -   Margins.—Dentate.        -   Pubescence.—Upper side.        -   Texture, upper side.—Felty, with little hairs.        -   Texture, under side.—Felty, with little hairs.        -   Color.—Immature upper surface: RHS Green 143A. Immature            lower surface: RHS Green 143B. Mature upper surface: RHS            Green 143A to 141A; autumn coloration to Greyed-Red 178C and            178D. Mature lower surface: RHS Green 143A to 141B; autumn            coloration to Greyed-Red 178C and 178D.-   Petiole:    -   -   Length.—About 1 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 0.1 cm.        -   Color, upper side.—RHS Red-Purple 60A and 60B and 59B.        -   Color, under side.—RHS Red-Purple 60A and 60B and 59B.        -   Texture, upper side.—Very little hairs.        -   Texture, under side.—Very little hairs.

FLOWER

-   Description: Inflorescences on terminal ends of branches.-   Inflorescence type: Compound umbel, lacecap.-   Inflorescence diameter: Average 5 cm.-   Flowering season: May through July.-   Longevity on plant: 3 months.-   Persistent or self-cleaning: Persistent.-   Fragrance: None.-   Flower:    -   -   Shape.—Fertile and Sterile flowers: Rotate, wheel-shaped.        -   Aspect.—Fertile and Sterile flowers: Upright, outward.-   Bud:    -   -   Color, fertile flowers.—Just before opening: RHS            Yellow-White 158B and 158C, with a blush of Red-Purple 60A.        -   Size sterile flower buds.—1 mm in diameter and length.-   Petals:    -   -   Number.—4 to 5.        -   Appearance.—Sterile flowers: 4 petals in a single whorl,            sometimes a 5^(th) small petal. Fertile flowers: 5 petals in            a single whorl.        -   Arrangement.—Rotated (both fertile and sterile flowers),            arranged in a single whorl.        -   Fused.—Sterile flowers: Yes, fused at base. Fertile flowers:            No.        -   Sterile flower petal length.—Average 1 cm.        -   Sterile flower petal width.—Average 5 mm.        -   Fertile flower petal length.—Average 1.5 mm.        -   Fertile flower petal width.—Average 1 mm.        -   Shape.—Obovate-rounded.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Rounded.        -   Texture.—Smooth, both sides.        -   Color.—Sterile flowers upper and lower surfaces: RHS            Yellow-White 158A-B. Fertile flowers upper and lower            surfaces: Opening color near RHS Red-Purple 63A, maturing to            63D, changing to White 155A after 6 to 8 weeks of full            maturity (pink color stays for at least one month).-   Sepals: About 0.5 mm in size. Too minute for accurate measurement.-   Calyx: Very small, wheel-shaped.-   Peduncles:    -   -   Length.—Average 1.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—Average 1 mm.        -   Color.—Near RHS Yellow-Green 144B.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Strength.—Strong.-   Pedicels:    -   -   Length.—Average 3 mm.        -   Diameter.—Average 1 mm.        -   Color.—Near RHS Yellow-Green 144B.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

-   Gynoecium:    -   -   Pistil number.—1.        -   Stigma color.—RHS White 155A.-   Androecium:    -   -   Stamen number.—5.        -   Filament length.—About 0.5 cm.        -   Filament color.—RHS White 155A.        -   Anther shape.—Rounded, 2-lobed.        -   Anther size.—About 0.5 mm.        -   Anther color.—RHS Yellow 4B-C.        -   Amount of pollen.—Plentiful.        -   Pollen color.—RHS Yellow 4B-C.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Fruit:    -   -   Quantity.—1 per flower.        -   Length.—About 4 mm.        -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Color.—Near RHS Greyed-Red 178A and 178B, turning near Black            203A when dessicated.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Seed.—One round seed produced per fruit, developing in the            Fall.-   Disease and insect resistance: No disease detected in 7 years.-   Temperature tolerance: Tolerant from 40° C. to −10° C.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Viburnum plantnamed ‘ILVOMONO’ as herein illustrated and described.